March 1, 2013   |
| | | Thought of the Day | | Nobody ever drowned in his own sweat.
--Ann Landers
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| Quote of the Week | | I'm not a success, I'm a sensation. --Van Cliburn |
| | | |  FORT WORTH, Texas--Van Cliburn, the internationally celebrated pianist whose triumph at a 1958 Moscow competition helped thaw the Cold War and launched a spectacular career that made him the rare classical musician to enjoy rock-star status, died at his home Wednesday morning after a fight with bone cancer. He was 78. Cliburn skyrocketed to fame when he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at age 23 in 1958, six months after the Soviets' launch of Sputnik embarrassed the U.S. and propelled the world into the space age. He triumphantly returned to a New York City ticker tape parade--the first ever for a classical musician--and a Time magazine cover proclaimed him "The Texan Who Conquered Russia." Despite the tension between nations, Cliburn became a hero to music-loving Soviets who clamored to see him perform and Premier Nikita Khrushchev reportedly gave the go-ahead for the judges to honor a foreigner: "Is Cliburn the best? Then give him first prize." He made his last public appearance in September at the 50th anniversary of the prestigious piano competition named for him. Speaking to the audience in Fort Worth, he saluted the many past contestants, the orchestra, and the city. "Never forget: I love you all from the bottom of my heart, forever," he said to a roaring standing ovation. |
| | | NEW YORK--The highlight of the Met Opera's 2013-14 season, if all goes according to plan, is the return of Music Director James Levine, 69, for the first time since May 14, 2011, after having healed--we're told--from three spinal operations. The "six new productions" the company is touting are in fact three coproductions that have premiered elsewhere and three wholly new ones: Massenet's Werther, directed by Richard Eyre, starring Elina Garanca and Jonas Kaufmann; Borodin's Prince Igor, with Dmitri Tcherniakov making his house debut as both director and set designer; and Die Fledermaus, kicking off the New Year in a new staging by Jeremy Sams. Levine is scheduled to conduct three operas: Falstaff, in the Met debut of Robert Carsen's production, last seen at La Scala; the return of Alban Berg's Wozzeck, with Deborah Voigt and Thomas Hampson; and a revival of Lesley Koenig's staging of Così fan tutte. Things get underway Sept. 23 with Valery Gergiev conducting Eugene Onegin, a coproduction with the English National Opera where it bowed in November of 2011. Composer du jour Nico Muhly's first opera, Two Boys, will have its American premiere in the Bartlett Sher production that premiered at the ENO in June 2011; David Robertson is in the pit. |
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German conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch died Feb. 22 at age 89. His death was reported by the Bavarian State Opera, of which he was music director for 20 years. In a statement, Bavarian Opera's chief, Nikolaus Bachler, said, "For decades, he left his stamp on our house with his great personality and his inimitable art. His name, like no other, is connected with the Munich opera and even today his influence can still be felt." Sawallisch succeeded Riccardo Muti as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1993 at the age of 70 and, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, remade it "into perhaps the most assured blend of orchestral polish and power in the United States." "He reshaped the ensemble with more personnel changes [40, to be exact] than anyone since Leopold Stokowski, re-established the 'Fabulous Philadelphians' as one of the authoritative oracles of the Austro-German repertoire, and eased the orchestra into its long-desired new concert hall." exposure. |
Major Restructuring at Askonas Holt |  Askonas Holt is to undergo some substantial rearranging, triggered by the decision of Martin Campbell-White and Robert Rattray to move into consulting roles after 77 years, collectively, with the company. Changes become effective in January 2014. Donagh Collins, 38, succeeds the pair as chief executive, moving up from the position of director of tours and projects, a post he has held since 2007. In so doing he takes on personal management of Sir Simon Rattle and Magdalena Kozená. "Martin's been my manager since I was 19 years old," said Rattle in his comments, "and his support, guidance and friendship have meant more to me than words will ever be able to convey." Rattle added that he has long been impressed with Donagh, and so had "no hesitation" in accepting him as his new manager. MA.com subscribers read the full story |
| William Bennett Dies |  William Bennett, the principal oboe of the San Francisco Symphony, died Feb. 28 after suffering a brain hemorrhage onstage Saturday night while performing Strauss's Oboe Concerto in Davies Symphony Hall. He was 56. Bennett was age 23 when he joined the orchestra in 1979 as assistant principal oboe to Marc Lifschey. He was named principal in 1987. He studied at Yale University and The Juilliard School with Robert Bloom. Among his many solos with the orchestra was the premiere of John Harbison's Oboe Concerto, commissioned for him by SFS. A recording was made on London Records. "I am heartbroken by the tragic death of Bill Bennett, which has left a terrible, sad emptiness in the hearts of the whole San Francisco Symphony family," said Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas. MA.com subscribers read the full story |
| New Artist of the Month: Sphinx Winner Gabriel Cabezas | |  Gabriel Cabezas, 20, is in the midst of his first post-teenage season. His 1934 Chicago-made cello Starbuck in tow, he played four performances of the Haydn
C Major Concerto with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in January, with two scheduled for May with the National Symphony of Costa Rica, and Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations with the Nashville Symphony in June. Between performance dates, Cabezas, who attended public high school in Chicago, is a fourth-year student at the Curtis Institute. He lives in Philadelphia, where he studies with New York Philharmonic Principal Cellist Carter Brey.
"Gabriel has a first-class talent and an engaging personality," says Brey. "He came as a fully formed performer, learns so quickly, and absorbs like a sponge, but without being uncritical. He's not afraid to question in lessons. I understand him because we were both only children from non-musical homes."
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| Victoires de la Musique Classique, February 25, 2013 |  From An American in Paris by Frank Cadenhead The 20th annual awards ceremony, Victoires de la Musique Classique, was televised around France on Monday, February 25. This year it was celebrated in the new 1400 seat concert hall in Bordeaux which opened just last month. The hall is modern and warm and, critics say, has impressive, clear acoustics. After two decades, the format has changed little in this French version of the Grammy Awards (if you could imagine the Classical Grammys being awarded in prime time on a network in America). Like the Grammys, there is a list of artists, usually three, competing for the trophy in each category and like the Grammys, the artist selection is mysterious and often confounding. Star turns are included and this year there were single arias by American mezzo Joyce DiDonato ("Una voce poco fa"), Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo ("Una furtive lagrima"), and French contralto Nathalie Stutzmann with Handel's "Ombra mai fu." French violin star Renard Capucon played Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 5 with the evening's featured orchestra, the Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine, with their talented music director Kwamé Ryan, who were onstage all evening. The evening began with their rendition of Ravel's Bolero. |
| Multiple-Entry Visas: A Safe Bet |  To submit a question to GG Arts Law write to LawAndDisorder@MusicalAmerica.com Dear Law and Disorder: I am working on an orchestra tour for the 13-14 Season. We would like to include Canadian dates in the route, but they are neither possible at the beginning or end of the tour. Is it possible on a work visa, for a group to depart the USA for Canada for a couple of engagements and then re-enter the US as part of a single visa application? This was not possible for the Cubans, I was told. However, I know a Russian ballet company that was able to do this. My associate is confident this is not possible. |
The Artist-Manager Relationship | | 
From Ask Edna by Edna Landau When I opened the Arts section of The New York Times three weeks ago, I saw an interesting article about a singer who was new to me, the South African soprano Pretty Yende. The first name certainly called attention to itself, as did the large picture of Ms. Yende, taken from her debut in Le Comte Ory at the Metropolitan Opera in January. The New York Times reported that "since Ms. Yende's debut, her phone has been ringing with offers from agents. So far, she said, she has turned them all down." This statement got me thinking. My first reaction was one of admiration and respect for an artist who felt she needed more time to complete every aspect of her training. (She apparently said: "This is my year to study.") I felt it would take real courage to turn down management offers, especially if they were from well-established, reputable agencies. However, after a bit more reflection regarding this particular artist, who is already very much in the public eye and who had time to hone her craft during multiple years in the Academy at La Scala, I wondered whether she was wise to turn away management offers. The decision would seem predicated on the fear that a manager would push her too hard, too soon, but that is not what a good manager would do. A young, immensely gifted artist whose career is about to shift into high gear needs an insightful, skilled and sensitive manager at such a juncture, more than perhaps at any other time in their career. Read the full story |
The Philadelphia Sound Meets The Rite of Spring |  From Why I Left Muncie by Sedgwick Clark At a press luncheon for the Vienna Philharmonic in 1986, I was seated next to cellist Werner Resel, the chairman of the orchestra. We were talking about the unique sound of the VPO, and he remarked with a laugh that a critic had written that under Leonard Bernstein the Vienna sounded like the New York Philharmonic. "Well, that's true," I replied. "A great conductor brings his own sound to any orchestra he leads." End of conversation. |
| Latest Roster Changes |  Musical America is helping presenters keep up with its advertisers! Managers whose rosters appear in the 2013 edition of the Musical America Directory should write to listings@musicalamerica.com with the names of artists and attractions that have been either added or removed, and please be sure to indicate "added" or "removed." NEW THIS WEEK Dutton, Jane, soprano, added, Bel Canto Global Arts White, Sir Willard, bass-baritone, added, Hazard Chase Read the full story |
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